March 2023 - Federal Government Luncheon
From Left: Mary Foutz (USACE Baltimore District), Stephanie Felton (Smithsonian), Joe Cafferata (OBO), Ray Deering (ACEC/MW Facilities Committee Chair)
Presentation File & Attendee List
Presentation File
Attendee List
Our Speakers
Smithsonian Institution
Stephanie Felton, P.E. - Deputy Director, Planning & Program Management
Ms. Felton has worked for over 20 years in the design and construction industry in the U.S. and internationally. She is presently a Deputy Director in the Smithsonian Institution’s Office of Planning Design and Construction, where she leads Planning and Program Management. She is responsible for Smithsonian’s annual capital construction and revitalization program of over $250 Million. Her division’s responsibilities include project management, master planning, and historic preservation. Current efforts include planning the Smithsonian’s two newest museums: the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum and the National Museum of the American Latino.
From 2005-2021 Ms. Felton served at the Department of State, Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations, in various roles including Division Director for project management in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Central Asia regions; Acting Office Director for Design and Engineering; Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Management; and Project Manager for capital construction projects in Africa. She was also a tenured member of the Foreign Service, Construction Engineering specialty, and served overseas as the Construction Manager for the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Prior to joining the State Department, she designed roadways, utilities, and commercial sites for both public and private clients in Texas, Arizona, Virginia, and Maryland.
Ms. Felton has a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University and holds a Professional Engineer license in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Publications:
Construction Industry Institute, Research Team 326, Maximizing Virtual Team Performance in the Construction Industry (2016)
Committees:
Construction Industry Institute, Research Team 400, Recognizing and Retaining Beneficial Changes in
Construction from the Pandemic
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Baltimore District
Mary P. Foutz, P.E. - Chief, Engineering Division
Ms. Mary Foutz became Chief, Engineering in July 2020. She began her career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District in 1991 upon graduation from University of Maryland Baltimore County with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Her experience includes several positions in Baltimore District including mechanical engineer designer, Chief of Mechanical/Electrical section, and Chief of Military Design Branch in Engineering Division, Temporary Deputy Chief of Engineering Division, and Chief of Quality Management Section in Construction Division. She is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Maryland, and a member of the American Society Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the ASHRAE Technical Committee for Laboratories.
United States Bureau of Overseas Building Operations (OBO)
Joe Cafferata - Director, Mechanical Engineering Division
Joe Cafferata is the Director of Mechanical Engineering Division at the Department of State’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing mechanical, plumbing and controls design, management for the worldwide diplomatic real estate portfolio including stewardship of the existing assets and a robust capital improvement plan.
Joining federal service in 2007, Mr. Cafferata has served in a variety of roles including lead mechanical engineer for new embassy projects in Mexico City, Tegucigalpa, and Brasilia; post earthquake response in Haiti and Nepal; and as the State Department’s subject matter expert for water treatment. Additionally, he was the senior mechanical engineer for the Smithsonian Institution before returning to OBO to lead the mechanical division. Before becoming a civil servant, he worked with various private engineering consulting firms.
Mr. Cafferata is a registered civil and mechanical engineer in California and holds degrees
in Civil Engineering and Water Resource Engineering from Oregon State University and Pennsylvania State University.